


Flowers With Meanings

by MystBlBk



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23389324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MystBlBk/pseuds/MystBlBk
Summary: I had felt touched that the woman I had worked under during my undergrad years wanted to pass her company onto me until the whole situation became heavy on my shoulders. Luckily, this is where my escape comes from: the Community Garden of the Central Neighborhood of National City. The fullness of the garden reminded me of the happiest days I have lived. Days where Cat would beam down at me with a proud smirk after I would snap a well-timed shot of a local woman gathering water in a clay jug. It brought me back to days at the Midvale Fall Festival where I would snap pictures of a laughing Alex on the hayride, surrounded with pumpkins and tall corn stalks. Nights of starry skies and bursting fireworks above standstill lakes. Dawns filled with bright oranges, reds, and turquoises that I had never seen replicated in both shape and location. The garden was as much as a security blanket as the actual polar bear blanket I had draped over my camera bag.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

The wind blows softly against my face, tickling my eyelashes against my closed eyelids. I unconsciously smile at the feeling of the breeze and the afternoon sun beaming down on me. There are a few people not far away from my spot under my favorite tree, most are enjoying the wonderful spring day. Children laughing and shrieking in delight can be heard nearby as well. The cool grass under my hands also cools down the thin blanket under me without getting it wet from being watered earlier in the day. I feel both cold and hot from both sensations, just the right temperature in between.

It’s moments like these that I feel both full and empty. I feel both content yet empty. Content because I have a good life with good people in it and a good job with a good home. Empty, because there is so much I had to lose to gain what little I do have. I lost a life with my birth family only to gain an adopted one that fills me with so much joy on a day-to-day basis. If I had to sit down and compare my life to the one I had wished for as a child, I could honestly say there are stratospheres in the difference between them.

I sigh, trying not to let my mind linger on what I could not control, and sit upon the soft blue blanket I brought with me. My eyes open and the bright sun makes me squint until I adjust to the brightness. After a moment of adjustment, I look around to find my belongings. A thick silver camera sits near a thick leather bag with the letters ‘KD’ embroidering the front. I pick up the Olympus camera and stare at it for a second. 

Fond memories of Alex presenting it to me shortly after my adoption play in my head like a movie. My smile grows just a bit at seeing the peace offering my older sister bought for me. It never ceases to amaze me how a small thing marked every decision I made since receiving it. I had once wanted to become a journalist like my cousin Clark, but after seeing the beauty that can be captured out of ink and plastic I could not put it down in favor of the other. I mashed the two and couldn’t be any happier.

I run my finger over the top of the camera, gently as to not snap a picture in carelessness, and then turn it around to check the film count. There is just a little less than half the film left so I take my bag and look through my things. Out of the four rolls I had brought with me, only one is left unused. I shake my head but silently thank Cat Grant for her heavy hand in paying her photographers. It’s all thanks to her that I have access to my very own black room at home and boxes of blank film to use at my own expense without stressing my bank account. 

“I guess I can take a walk at the art district for some night shots,” I mumble to myself, “Alex is too busy with Kelly to care, anyway.”

The thought of my lovestruck sister makes me roll my eyes. For a woman with a need to resolve things with her fist first, she really turns into a Hallmark Movie Heroine at the sight of the doctor. The last time I had been around her the only thing coming out of her mouth was how ‘positively adorable’ Kelly was when making her coffee in the morning. How in the world serving one’s coffee could be described as ‘positively adorable’ is something I have yet to understand nor want to understand. I ended up chucking it into the pile I now refer to as ‘Alex’s Lovestruck Lesbian Chatter’ that I just stare at and not touch for fear of scaring my brain. I had already learned from attempting to understand Alex’s fondness for Maggie’s constant need to polish her Glock and Lucy’s tick of speaking with her chin tilted up. 

I cough out a chuckle at my inner rambling and shake my head out for cobwebs. The sun is still bright and the current film roll still has enough for a dozen more shots to be used. I quickly stand up and grab my blanket to fold it over my bag for easy carry. I walk down the path of the city park and follow it to the community gardens that the local garden group of the community YMCA tend to. The closer I get to the garden, the fewer people I pass. It seems they prefer to stay away from the deeper part of the park and would like to stay close to the large playground and parking area. 

I feel a bit sad for them. If they had walked just a bit deeper into the park, they would have seen the multitude of flowers and vegetables and fruit that were cared for by their neighbors. They would know nothing of the thick rose bushes that flourished in seasons: the red during winter, the yellow during spring, the white during summer, and the pink during fall. They would know nothing of the beautiful monarch butterflies that would rest during October at the garden on the way to Mexico for the winter. They would not know the wonders that were only yards away from them and in hindsight, I was happy for that.

The garden had been a godsend after returning from a world-wide trip around the world two summers ago. It had been my first major assignment that I was assigned to under CatCo after being hired as a photographer. It was a trip with my boss for one full year as she traveled the world searching for hidden destinations for hidden gems young people should experience outside their front yard. We had explored the ice caps of Mt. Everest and the heat of the Sahara desert. There were times I feared for my life, once in the jungles of Thailand when we met a mountain lion and the second when we stood in the middle of an intersection in Gyan with taxis and scooters grazing our hips. 

It wasn’t until returning to National City that Cat told me the real purpose: to prepare her next CEO. I had felt touched that the woman I had worked under during my undergrad years wanted to pass her company onto me. A woman that used her own hands to build a billion-dollar company would most likely keep it in the family and not toss it to someone she didn’t know. I suppose that means she saw me as a child of hers. It both flattered me and scared me, but just as I always did with Cat Grant: I stepped up to the plate and did my very best to prove she was right.

In retrospect, I should have seen the clues of her purpose. She taught me how to work on-site for overseas journalism. The woman had taught me how to chase a lead while only speaking surface levels of the native languages. I could never thank Cat enough for her teachings but I suppose being the youngest head of the International Journalism section of CatCo was a thank you enough. There was little trouble she had with our stories and even less with the pictures used for them, all Cat had to do was sign off on each spread since she held all faith that I would not screw over her company or overstep as a reporter from the States. She once said that this was training wheels for me and that once I was ready she would follow through and hand me the reigns of her queendom.

The whole situation was heavy on my shoulders but this is where my escape comes from: the Community Garden of the Central Neighborhood of National City. The fullness of the garden reminded me of the happiest days I have lived. Days where Cat would beam down at me with a proud smirk after I would snap a well-timed shot of a local woman gathering water in a clay jug. It brought me back to days at the Midvale Fall Festival where I would snap pictures of a laughing Alex on the hayride, surrounded with pumpkins and tall corn stalks. Nights of starry skies and bursting fireworks above standstill lakes. Dawns filled with bright oranges, reds, and turquoises that I had never seen replicated in both shape and location. The garden was as much as a security blanket as the actual polar bear blanket I had draped over my camera bag.

The gate creaks in the opened-too-many-times-too-count way that it always does. The familiarity makes me smile softly as I close it behind me. I look around the large space and take note of the recently watered plant boxes. Near the large shed where all the tools are most likely kept, is a covered seating area with a large circular patio table and wrought iron chairs. I walk to it and place my camera bag on the metal table and pull out my attachable light just in case I need it. I look around the place and a bush filled with small white flowers calls to me from the farthest corner of the garden.

I grin sadly to myself and walk through the maze of wood plant boxes and clay pots filled with smiling flowers. The walk is a very well known one to me, the plumerias have always been my favorite followed by my favorite type of roses that bloomed four flowers in each bud. Both flowers had a place in my heart and soul. 

Plumerias had become my mother’s favorite after meeting my father during a one-month conference in Star City where they both were taking the standard law certification classes attorneys had to take every three years. They would recount to me in detail how they skipped one boring conference to visit the Botanical Gardens next door to their hotel. Ever since then, my father made it an effort to tend to two bushes at the front of my childhood home once they married and bought the home. The roses, on the other hand, were my adopted parent’s favorite. She and Jeremiah had met during a party at the White House in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the _Centers for Disease Control and Prevention._ They had been young researchers then, just about to graduate and receive their doctorates, and had stars in their eyes and a vision for saving people from the unknown viruses and bacteria even the government could not detect at the time. They hit it off quickly and ended up circling the Rose Garden for hours until stopping at a bench in front of the pink Duc De Cambridge rose bush to exchange numbers.

Alex and I would sneak out onto the A-Line roofs of our home from our shared window and would stare up at the stars in wonder about how we would meet our person. Those nights are the kind that I treasure to this day, not only because it was one of those exchanges that I received the camera in my hands, but because we grew closer and became inseparable after having a rocky start. Late nights of sharing inner demons and dreams can do that to people I suppose. I can also apply that to Cat as well: hiding in bushes to not be detected by 300-pound gorillas can also help get people together.

My memories swirl in my mind but don’t hinder my moves as I snap shot after shot of the flowers before me. A snap of a perfectly spun web between branches follows one of water droplets collecting between petals. Two long branches with three small buds are painted onto plastic and ink. One final shot of a blue background and long leaves reaching for the sun above them finishes my film roll. I pull away from the flowers and look over my camera. Two final pictures are left in the roll and I raise a brow at the little number.

As I’m about to turn for the red bush a few steps away, a soft voice blows gently towards me. My brows furrow in confusion and I look behind me into the garden. The area is empty of humans, a few squirrels play near a baby lemon tree while a few pigeons hide under the shade of the patio table. A movement from the tool shed catches my eye though and I stare at the now open door. I can see a small figure, most likely a petite woman, move about in the soft light inside. This isn’t the first time I see the volunteers hustling in the garden but it is the first that I see this small figure. Most of the people that tend to the greenery are older people or lanky teenagers as people my age make little time to do anything that gives them little in exchange.

The figure goes deeper into the room for a moment then the person turns off the light. I wait in bated breath as the woman slowly exits and locks the door behind her then turns around. What little air my lungs hold is blown out like a gust of wind from a tornado. A small woman, no taller than Alex, walks out into the sunlight like the sun appearing behind tall mountains. Her raven hair shines with each step she takes towards the aluminum gate and the curtain not pulled up in the bun on the back of her head dances with the soft breeze. The woman’s t-shirt and acid wash jeans seem more appropriate on the runways of Paris Fashion Week, yet the stains of wet dirt on her knees seem to elevate the outfit's overall chicness.

My eyes finally reach the woman’s face and it's as if I’m in Gaya again: getting a face full of a three-wheeled taxi for being frozen at the sight in front of me. Sharp yet somehow soft features mark the woman’s face, soft plump lips accent a sharp jaw and perfectly plucked eyebrows. Her hypnotizing green eyes are only enhanced by the greenery around us and her pale skin makes her seem like a Victorian-era Dutchess taking a stroll in the gardens of her palace. 

My mouth turns into the Dead Sea, filled with water that would only provide further thirst instead of relief, as the woman stops mid-step and puts a hand on her hip with her head tilted just a degree to the left. A sharp eyebrow raises and a blush on my face burns my skin when the woman turns to stare at the singular table in the garden. The petit woman stares at my bag, confused at its presence then she looks around to find it’s owner. For some reason, I duck under the tall gardenia bush as her head slowly turns to my direction. 

_What the hell are you doing Kara?_

I scold myself in my head for a moment at my odd actions then peak over the bush. The woman is now at the table looking over my bag. Long fingers unbuckle my bag and I watch in embarrassment for some reason as she looks through my things. She looks over my equipment for a while until she stops in her tracks and pulls something out. I start cursing myself out in all the languages I know as the woman pulls out the pile of photographs I carry wherever I go. A thick stack of thirty pictures is held delicately in soft hands as she pulls off the rubberband I have around them. 

She slowly goes over them one-by-one until a picture catches her eyes. A soft look settles on her face and her eyes become foggy as if transported to a memory. Her soft skin becomes tainted in pink and a small smile forms on her lips. I gasp at the sight and my heart staggers like a drunkard leaving a tavern. My hands itch and I can’t help but grab my camera. The dials on the lens click softly while I look through the looking glass. The picture looks perfect somehow, the only thing in focus is the woman’s profile surrounded by gardenia flowers on each side of her. I snap the picture without thinking. In that second she looks up and my finger slips, snapping the final picture. 

“Who’s there,” she demands with a defensive tone, “Come out here right now.”

I rub the back of my neck and bite my lip. After another scolding demand, I decide to show myself to her. With shaky knees, I stand at my full height to show myself to the woman. My eyes take a chance and look up at her. Wide green eyes look me over and the soft blush that was once on her cheeks deepen in color as the seconds tick by. 

“Uhmm, hello,” I wave to her with a small smile, “I’m sorry I scared you. I’m Kara…”

The woman doesn't move and I get the feeling she’s still in shock, to give her more confidence towards me, I walk through the maze of green and toward her. If I hadn’t been staring at her, I would have felt her electric stare on me with each step towards her. Emotions swirl in her eyes and change almost every second. The green orbs settle into an emotion I can’t decipher but I take the chance to look friendly by giving her one of my sunny smiles. She’s caught off guard again, eyes widen just a millimeter, then she tilts her head up showing off her thin neck and sharp jawline.

“What were you doing,” she narrows her eyes, “I didn’t hear you come in and I called out to you twice.”

“I-I know,” I blush under her laser stare, “You just-I mean, I was caught off guard and panicked. I’m sorry.”

“What were you doing out here,” she repeats, this time with a softer look in her eyes.

“Oh, I was just taking pictures. I’m a photographer, you see,” I grab my camera and show it to her like a child would show a worm to their parents, “Today’s my day off so I came to the park to enjoy the sun. I come here before leaving, the sunset is the nicest time for flower shots. Twilight hour, the magic hour? It's always the best time. I’m sorry I scared you…”

“That means you took these,” the woman says looking at the pictures in her hands.

“Yeah,” I smile bashfully, “Those are the ones I keep for myself.”

The woman goes back to staring at the picture from earlier and I lean over just a bit to look at which one she chose. My heart stops as I recognize the shot. A large bundle of plumerias are framed in the shot, the same plant I had been photographing earlier. It was the first photo I had taken of the plant in this garden. I look up to see the woman’s face. It shifts from surprise to sadness then back again.

“My mother loved these flowers,” she says with a sad tone, “It's one of the few things I remember about her…”

I bite my lip then take another chance, “Would you...would you like to keep it?”

Bright eyes widen and look up at me with surprise, “What?”

“Would you like to keep it,” I repeat myself, “I have many more. I can take more too…”

The woman stares at me then seems to come back to herself, “I don’t know if-”

“Keep it,” I cut her off, “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”

She looks back at the picture and then back up at me, “Lena. My name is Lena.”

I grin at her and pull out my hand for her to shake, “Kara. A pleasure to meet you, Lena.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” she smiles at me timidly, “Kara.”

My lip is held hostage between my teeth as we shake hands but don’t let go. Our eyes are connected by each other’s stares, not willing to move away. I count the green and white and black and bright gold in her eyes. She must have been counting too because we share a blush then let go of each other’s hand. My hand feels oddly cold now so I move forward to take the stack of pictures she awkwardly hands back to me. I wrap the rubber band around the pictures again and place them inside my bag. Without glancing over to Lena, I pull the strap over my shoulder to leave.

“Do you come here often,” Lena asks quietly.

My eyes widen and I turn to her. She seems to understand how it sounds, if the deep blush collecting on her cheeks says anything, and stutters to correct herself.

“I-I mean do you come here to take pictures often,” she stumbles out, “I’m here around this time during the weekend and this is the first time I’ve seen you.”

I smile at her and nod, “I usually come in the morning, right after Jack fills up the bird feeders.”

“I see,” Lena nods, “Well I guess, I won’t be seeing you as oft…”

“Oh no I think you will,” I cut her off again.

Lena’s lips part in surprise and she raises a sculpted brow, “Oh really?”

“Yeah,” I grin at her, “Definitely.”

Lena bites her lip and looks away. A thrill fills me to the brim as another blush paints her pale cheeks. We stay quiet for a long moment, sharing bashful and hopeful looks between us until she nods to herself. I stay quiet as she turns to her messenger bag and pulls out a business card. Lena flips it in her hand a few seconds then turns to me. 

“I liked your work,” Lena whispers down at her hands then looks up to me, “I’d like to see more…”

“S-sure,” I nod.

Lena nods again and hands me the card. Gold letters are written upon the expensive cardstock. The letters are perfectly shaped except for a line of numbers at the very bottom that had been written on in black ink.

“That’s my cell phone number at the bottom,” Lena explains, “It’s the only one I have on me. Coincidence, I guess?”

“Yeah,” I murmur, “Coincidence…”

“Okay. Uhm, well I have to go. Goodbye, Kara,” Lena waves at me, still holding onto the picture in her right hand.

I stare at her until she closes the gate behind her. I stay there for a few minutes, eyes not leaving the gate, until my phone rings and vibrates from my pants pocket. I pull out the phone and look at the screen to see Alex calling me. A large grin pulls at my lips and I swipe to accept the call. 

“Alex, you would not believe what just happened,” I tell her as I start walking in the direction of the exit.


	2. Chapter 2

The first place Lionel took me after adopting me was Luthor Hospital. He had a meeting with the head of the hospital to speak about expansions for the pediatric ward and wanted to spend time with me afterward while Lex and Lillian spent their weekly time together. There was also talk about expanding for spaces to be used for the public as well as donations pools they wished to set up. Lillian was against helping those with smaller pockets but one look at me had changed her mind, this is the memory that I keep to remind me that no matter how many sneers are given away she does have some kindness to her. So after a light breakfast and a promise to visit the nearby toy store to add things to my empty room, we reached the hospital with little talk from either one of us.

Father had let me play in the pediatric area where the waiting room doubled as a play area for the children under the careful eye of one of his bodyguards. Lex later told me that Mother had always scoffed at the toys there but relented in the condition that the number of bookshelves outnumbered the toys in the area. Her demand was granted and so large black bookshelves took up the largest wall of the area. They were filled with young adult novels and picture books along with a section for the adults to browse as well. I had chosen one of the colorful picture books, a Dr. Suess book because the play on words always made me grin widely when the squeaking of a wheelchair broke the quiet atmosphere I was in. 

A little boy with his head shaved was being pushed by another boy, this one with a full head of hair, both pulling an IV machine next to them. They stopped in their tracks and observed me for a moment until the smaller boy tugged at the boy pushing him by his long-sleeved pajamas.

_“Look! A new friend! Let’s go talk to her!”_

Rudy was his name and his companion was Tito. Rudy was kind and sweet, innocent in the world despite the quite killer circulating in his veins. Tito was older and more aware of the whispers the adults shielded from them. They had become friends after experiencing chemo together one day. After that, they asked for their schedules to be the same to encourage and be there for each other during those days.

I remember having Tito read to us a few books, simple for me to understand but interesting enough for his sixth-grade mind to stay engaged. Rudy just wanted to hear Tito speak instead of hearing the beeping of the monitors strapped to him since he was three. The two boys accompanied for the two hours that father was away, refusing to leave me alone in the area even after their parents came looking for them. It wasn’t until my father appeared that all three of us froze in the middle of the colorful rug, each holding a small car.

_“It looks like you found some new friends, Lena. Would you like to see them again? Perhaps bring your brother along?”_

That is the memory that I cherish about my father. Not the cold businessman that people see, but the kind man that cared for the helpless and cared for me in his way.

Lex is similar. He’s cold and strict and demanding. But when you look from the outside pointed in, you realize he is that way because he wants to pull out the best from each of us. His perfectionist nature is what pushes him to follow father’s footsteps and his caring nature is what keeps his feet on solid ground. I know I’m no the only one that sees this. Clark, his best friend since college, loves him and seeing the greatness in him just as I do. They become top of their class through competition and pull the best out of each other. It’s this constant back and forth that teaches me to do the same. It is also the pushing from Lillian that forces me to aim high and never look back.

_“You’re a Luthor, Lena. And as a Luthor, you may never aim for the lowest. We only aim for the stratosphere. Competition and pressure make us thrive, not falter. Whatever you wish to accomplish, aim higher._

At first, Lilian’s words swirled over me like a thundercloud ready to ruin my clarity but once I hit middle school and was surrounded by equally brilliant minds, I understood what she meant. It was not to uphold the family honor or to beat those around me into submission but to become the best for myself and reach my full potential. Lex’s expansion of my father’s empire was a testament to what one person can accomplish at a young age. If I needed another point to look at, I would turn to Clark and his two Pulziers that hung in his small apartment or the three that his fiance kept on the shelve under his. 

So I became a doctor. Lex had been thrilled with my decision and past my mother’s cold stare was proud fondness shining in the hazel depths. It came to a shock to everyone in our circle but after careful deliberation, there was no other thing that I wished I could be. Years of visiting the Luthor Hospital as a volunteer or just as a visitor made me attached to the vibrating energy of the place. Seeing Rudy’s name plaque decorate the ‘In Memoriam’ wall of the pediatric unit forced me to understand how close death truly is. My father’s death also pushed me to help heal people even though the cards are stacked against them. There was hope everywhere in the halls of the hospital and I wanted to fill it with mine.

I took the route of a pediatric doctor, another proud moment for both Lex and our mother, as a specialist in Oncology. It seemed fate was on my side as my first case was with a young boy that looked eerily similar to Rudy. Aaron recovered quickly and still sends me letters on the anniversary of his surgery. Though I had saved Aaron, there were a few cases that I had not been able to help. I remember their names to this day without the need of plaques on the wall. Even with the few children that I couldn’t help and the two people in my life that helped me find my calling, I had one that reminded me there was hope among the hopeless.

Tito became a wonderful friend after his victory over cancer but we went our different ways after I started boarding school and him into public high school. It turned out that he held Lex up into a pedestal for many years after our distance, he ended up following a similar path as Lex as a scientist of agriculture. It was years after we both graduated that we found each other after a dinner held at Luthor Corp. He became friends with Jack Sphere, one of Lex’s scientists under the environmental division, and was invited as his guest. My heart sang at seeing my old friend again and renewed hope bubbled in me after speaking with him. He visits me at work bi-weekly and even ended up helping Jack with his project at the Community Garden of the Central Neighborhood of National City. That is how I ended up helping both of them with the project. They needed an extra hand in tending to the garden and collecting specimens, and even though I hadn’t been in the lab for many years I was always willing to help my favorite people achieve their own goals. 

It the beginning it was just a way to keep busy when not at the hospital or my private practice outside of the hospital, but overtime It became a nice way to relax and renew my spirits after a week-long of trying days. One could see death so many times in the face before questioning their life’s purpose. It wasn’t until a particularly tough case of a young toddler that I found escape at the gardens placed outside the hospital. I had never gone there and only saw it in passing so it was a shock to me when I found a collection of plumeria flowers surrounded by bushes of lilies. I had approached them and saw a little plaque sticking out from the ground with a simple dedication proudly stating: _Love is infinite and everlasting._ It was then that I understood my father just a little bit more than I once had.

Tending to the community garden became something different to me then. It was a place where I let my emotions escape. I could think back to the harsh days that Lillian put me through but remember the kind smiles she would feed me at the end of the day. My mind could conjure up my father’s stern stare when picking me up from Ireland but then he warm hand that surrounded mine when we visited my birth mother’s grave hours after. Days of distant calls between Lex and I that turned to months of not speaking evolve into memories of thrilling chess matches among rose bushes of the family garden. Nights filled with terrors of my mother’s death soften to bright skies filled with the aroma of flowers and childish giggles.

It’s with this connection to the colorful flowers and plants of the community garden that it became my hidden place. This is why Kara Danvers’ appearance rendered me defensive. An unknown appearance to teardown my secret hideout was like a call to war. I had been relieved to find out that the photographer held the same kind of love for the garden as myself. This is what lead me to give the older woman my business card, something that I never do no matter who it is I run into.

“Dr. Luthor?”

I blink away my musings and look up from my walnut desk. In front of me is one of the RNs from the pediatric department dressed in light blue scrubs. I let out a chuckle at seeing her corgi printed top and the silly paper hat on her head that she was gifted by the children. I smile at Jess, a brilliant young woman that had recently transferred from Gotham to National City, and nod for her to continue.

“I came by to see how you are doing,” the nurse smiles back, “You’ve been in a different headspace all morning. I bet you didn’t even notice it’s Lunchtime.”

My eyes widen and I look over to the bronze clock I have hanging on the right wall. Sure enough, the time is twelve already. I shake my head at myself and quickly close the tabs on my computer then the files on my desk. I stand up from my office then turn to the kind woman.

“Thank you, Jess,” I laugh softly, “I suppose I let my mind go on its own. Has Mary shown up yet? She’s been taking extra cases at the General Hospital lately so I’ve expected her to show up a little later than usual.”

Jess nods and watches as I stand and stretch my back, “Yes. Dr. Hamilton just checked over all the children after arriving. She’s in the break room right now telling us about how Mr. Wayne’s company has decided to do a trial run on new steroids for emergency medicine. It seems Ms. Kane has been urging him to do a merger with Luthor Corp for their medical departments.”

I look at Jess with surprise, feeling a grin spread on my lips, “That would be lovely. Lex has been going on about using Jack’s nanobots for other uses such as surgery. Perhaps I should go talk to Mary and Kate so we can push them together.”

The RN laughs, “Between you and them, I’m sure it is possible.”

Nodding to the woman, I beckon her to follow me out of my office. We exchange a few words about the children under our care as we walk down the flight of stairs from the floor of offices we have over the pediatric wing and reach the top floor of the section quickly enough. I laugh a few times from being told all the silly things the children say or do. It's both a curse and a blessing to work with children. They are honest and kind and innocent but it becomes difficult when I see them in pain and sickly, especially when there is little I and my staff can do to help them. 

The floor is mostly quiet, this one is filled with children with minor illnesses and the like, so I take my time to peek into a few rooms and wave at the patients occupying them. I recognize a few of the kids through seeing them run around the playground area daily and they seem to as well as they call my name and greet me. By the time I’m passing the nurse station, the whole floor is aware I’m passing through.

“Hello Dr. Luthor,” the head RN of the floor greets, “I’m happy to see Jess prayed you out of your chair for lunch.

I laugh at the woman and glance over at the blushing woman behind me, “Yes. I am too. Have you ladies had lunch yet?”

A round of affirmatives makes me smile and I go about asking about the status of the patients, despite my main job being in charge of the children’s cancer department I do give a hand around the wards to keep the doctors' caseloads equal. 

“Johnny’s ready to leave and so is Beca,” Kimmy tells me, “I have a little boy in nine-oh-two who still needs tending to his burn wounds but he would be able to leave by the end of the week…”

I nod at the woman and look to each room as if I could look them over from where I am. When Kimmy is done with her rundown of the children, I take my pocket notepad and write down a few key things I took from each patient. Notifying that I will have a chat with the other doctors about their status, I leave the nurses to their jobs and carry on with Jess next to me. We proceed with this routine on each floor until we reach the second floor, the children’s cancer ward, to reach the break room we have near the playroom. 

“What’s for lunch, Jess,” I glanced at the woman.

“Leftovers from last night,” she shrugs and grabs her purple lunch bag from the fridge, “And yourself doc?”

I smirk at the nickname and pull my food from the fridge, “The same thing. I had a ton of leftover Chinese food.”

“Samantha went over,” the woman raises her brows as she sets her food in the microwave next to mine, “I thought she was busy tending to Luthor Corp’s sudden stock raise?”

I nod, “Yes but we haven't had a girls night in a while so she came over and spent the night.”

“That’s good to hear. You’re always working. You deserve some sisterly time.”

We both look to the entrance and see Mary walk in, dressed stylishly under her white coat, with her hands in her pockets and a kind smile on her face. She walks up to me and I pull her in for a hug. She pats my back then embraces Jess into a side hug.

“Hey there Dr. Hamilton,” I greet, “How are you doing today?”

“Pretty good,” Mary grins, “Beth hasn’t killed anyone yet and Kate has been her usual sunny self.”

I laugh Mary’s happy tone, knowing full well her stepsisters are always on ends with each other but keep the peace when she’s around. The doctor rolls her eyes and sits next to us when our food is hot, producing a set of manila folders and a blue pen. Mary works through her papers while talking with us. It’s wonderful to have these two women with me, they’re kind and intelligent but most of all they both hold the same kind of love that I do when it comes to healing people.

Mary had received her doctorates in Gotham around the same time as I did and we ended up going through residency in Metropolis together. There we became great friends and ultimately fused the Luthor and Wayne families. Despite Bruce and Lex being on ends about certain business things, they did get along and also managed to bring Jacob Kane into the circle. It was a merging of powers that had many raising a brow. Luckily, after seeing how all three companies, Luthor Corp, Wayne Enterprise, and Crows Security flourished and even were contracted by the government for large projects. I can still remember the way Lex kissed my cheek and hugged me tightly after coming back from a gala where Maxwell Lord and Morgan Edge seethed with rage from our new friendships.

“So how was your weekend Lena,” Jess asks after opening her small bag of sugar cookies, “You’ve been smiling all morning.”

I blush and ignore the growing smiles from my two friends, “It went well. It was relatively calm.”

Mary scoffs, “That little blush on your cheeks says otherwise.”

I look away from the two women, “Nothing really happened-”

“Oh come off it,” Jess cuts me off, “You’re usually all broody and neck-deep in your work, doc. Come on. We’re all friends here!”

The two women stare at me with expectant looks. I look around the room and see that the only nurse three has her earbuds on and is too focused on his meal to notice us. With a defeated sigh I turn to my friends. Jess grins largely while Mary smiles encouragingly.

“Okay, fine,” I huff, “Just, keep it to yourselves. Please?”

“Definitely,” Mary nods.

“Sure,” Jess rolls her eyes, “Just tell us!”

“On Sunday…”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“PONYTAIL!”

_Crap!_

Like a frightened squirrel, I jump from my spot on the floor and quickly stand up straight as the head editor of CatCo enters with a furious look on his face. In his hands are the prints I had developed for him for the front page of CatCo Magazine for next month’s issue. He storms up to me and shoves the pages into my hand while staring me down with narrowed eyes.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!”

I blink at the man then look down at the pictures. My whole body lurches backward, thrown back from the shock, as my mind processes what’s in front of me. Instead of the shot that I had decided to use for Diana Prince’s expose was the shot I had taken of Lena a few days ago. A furious blush spreads across my face and to the tip of my ears.

“I-I’m so s-sorry,” I stutter and turn around, “I-I don’t kn-ow how that hap-pend.”

“For Christ Sakes Danvers,” Snapper seethes, “How many times have I told you not to mix your rolls with your work rolls?”

I turn to the man, the correct shots in my hand now, and hand him the pictures, “Uh. This would be the first?”

Snapper narrows his eyes again, “Hasn’t your mother taught you not to talk back?”

I blush again, “Y-yes s-sir.”

The man glares at me for what seems an eternity then sharply turns around and stomps out of my office. I blink into the abyss he left, confused about his actions, before snapping back into the moment.

“Golly,” I slap my forehead, “What in the world was that, Danvers?”

I shake my head and turn around to my desk again. The shot Snapper had thrown at me was slightly wrinkled from being shoved into my hands but the clarity of it makes it seem like a small inconvenience. I stare down at the top picture, hypnotized by the side profile of the beautiful brunette, then pick it up gently. I hold the paper in my hand as if it could disintegrate while continuing to stare at it. Lena was facing down to the table as she looks at the pictures she took from my bag. Two white gardenia bushes frame her, making black t-shirt stand out surrounded by the deep green and white plants. 

I bit my bottom lip while my left-hand twitches again just like the day I had taken these pictures. I put the top picture under the second and my breath hitches at the view. The doctor’s shocked features shine in front of me. Her eyes stare at me and her parted lips show bright white teeth. My left hand begins to trace her features, completely in my world, while re-memorizing the picture I had developed yesterday afternoon. 

“Gorgeous…”

“Why thank you, dear sister of mine.”

Just as before, I jump and a small shriek leaves me. A familiar laugh echoes in my office so I turn to the sound. My sister laughs against my door while holding her side. I roll my eyes at her.

“Don’t you know how to knock,” I say with a similar tone that Snapper gave me earlier.

Alex raises her hands, grinning like a maniac, “Hey! I come in peace! I was in the area taking care of a case and I had a craving Chinese food-”

“And you thought of me,” I put a hand over my heart playfully.

“Duh,” Alex rolls her eyes, “Why wouldn't the image of you wolfing down two dozen potstickers not remind me of Chinese food?”

I laugh and shake my head, “Just like the thought of _Law and Order_ makes me think of you.”

“That’s why you’re my favorite sister,” she laughs.

“I’m your only sister.”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

I groan at her, gaining another round of laughter from her. Despite how annoying Alex could be, I do love our back and forths like this. Winn once told me how much he envies them. I suppose that’s the downside of being a single child. 

“What you got there, four eyes?”

Alex is suddenly in front of me and tilting the pictures I have in my hand toward her. I quickly try to hide them but my superhuman sister snatches them away. She turns her back to me and I follow her, trying to take the pictures back from her. I feel like I’m a teen again, fighting over who gets to wear a shared article of clothing.

“Alex,” I whine, “Give them back!”

“Oh wow! Who is this? She’s a looker for sure!”

I blush and continue to struggle behind Alex’s stretched out hand. Defending herself like an offense basketball player, she shoves me by my hip and throws me off balance. That small stumble sends me to my knees and onto my back. I gasp at the sudden fall.

“Alex!”

“Little nerd,” she snickers, “Now, who is this? Is she my new sister-in-law?”

“N-no.”

“Then who is it,” my sister hovers over me with her hands on her hips, “Don’t tell me you’ve been taking unconsented pictures at the park again?”

I blush and that seems to answer Alex’s question.

“I don’t want to run into my ex because you’re stalking model-like women at the park, Kara,” Alex scolds playfully, “If I want to see Maggie, I can just ask her to hang out!”

“I-I didn’t mean t-to,” I stutter while taking Alex’s outstretched hand to stand up.

“You didn’t mean to take a picture of a pretty girl,” my sister smirks.

Another blush, “No. I was just minding my own business and then…”

“And then?”

I sigh dreamily, “She walked out of the shed. I hid, and no I don’t know why I did that so don’t ask, and stared while she looked through my bag-”

“She looked through your bag,” Alex gawks, “You don’t let anyone touch that thing!”

“I let you touch it,” I huff.

“Yeah, but I got it for you,” she smirks, “So? Then what?”

“I don’t know,” my brain slowly recreates the situation and I stare without seeing, “My hands just took my camera in front of me. I took the first picture then she looked toward me and took the second.”

“Did she freak out,” she raised an eyebrow.

“Oh totally,” I laugh lightly, “I could have peed my pants from fright. I was sure she was going to attack me or something. I had no other choice but to show myself.”

“And then,” Alex raised her brow, “Come on! What happened?”

“Nothing really,” I shrug. “I told her why I was there. She told me she liked the picture I took of the plumerias. I let her take it and she gave me her business card-”

“SHE GAVE YOU HER NUMBER?!”

I cover my ears and close my eyes from the sudden shout. I glance at my door, thankful that it’s closed and turn to Alex. She looks at me with surprise and amazement.

“Uh, y-yeah?”

“Oh my god, Kara,” she groans, “You should have started with that!”

I blush, “I’m still shocked really.”

Alex laughs, “So what’s her name?”

“Lena Luthor,” I smile happily.

“Like Luthor Corp Luthor,” Alex shakes her head, “The sister of Lex Luthor? The billionaire?”

“I guess,” I shrug, “I didn’t ask. Her business card says that she’s a pediatric oncologist-”

“Oh god,” my sister gapes, “It is her!”

“How can you be so sure,” I raise my brow.

“She’s on the national board of doctors! Mom met her at a conference two years ago! Don’t you remember? Luthor Corp became a donor for her projects ever since!”

I gawk then, remembering how the powerful company seemed to fall from the sky and helped mom’s recent project flourish. 

“No way,” I gasp, “She’s _that_ Dr. Luthor?”

Alex nods, “One and the same.”

I stay frozen for a moment then snap into action. My feet carry me to my camera bag, hanging over the director’s chair I have in the corner, and open it. I find the packet of pictures I have and flip it over to the back. Wrapped along with the pictures is Lena’s card. I take it out and look it over again. My eyes don’t blink, eyes focused on the little white cardstock, while hearing Alex come next to me.

“Holy cow! You weren't making things up!”

I turn to my sister, card still in my hand, “Golly.”


End file.
